Girdle



Nov. 28, 1950 F. DEsRocHERs GIRDLE Flled Jan 3l 1949 Ngv. 28, 1950 F.DEsRocHERs 2,531,769

GIRDLE Filed Jan. 51, 1949 2 sheets-sheet 2 2.6 26 z5 :E E

27. Iza/mr? Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GIRDLEFernand Desrochers, Quebec, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Dominion CorsetCompany Limited,

Quebec, Quebec, Canada 4 Claims.

This invention relates to foundation garments and more particularly toimprovements in the 'arrangement of the panels forming the back Aportionof a girdle.

provides an independent supporting t about the waist while the lowerpanel provides an independent supporting t about the hips and lowerregion of the back, each panel retaining its respective fitting aboutthe body of the wearer regardless of postures assumed by the wearer.

One feature of this arrangement resides in L the overlapping of thebottom panel with the upper panel in the vicinity of the waist line sothat while the upper panel is tightly fitted about the waist theoverlapping portion of the lower panel will extend across the back insuch a manner as to conceal a sway-back condition in the lumbar regionof the body.

A further feature resides in the inverse arrangement of the arched edgesof the overlapping sections to increase smoothness of sliding operationwhen the wearer is assuming sitting or standing postures.

A still further feature is in the fan trimmed lll pattern of the bottompart of the upper panel4 which tends to prevent the falling seam of thepanel from showing through the fabric of light dresses.

The above and other objects and features characteristic of thisinvention will be more readily understood from the following detaileddescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the front portion of a `girdle embodying thefeatures of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the rear portion of the girdle shown in Fig. l.

3 is a View similar to Fig. 2 but showing a portion of the lower panelbroken away to disclose the complete upper panel.

Fig. l is a sectional view taken alo-ng thc line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, Fig. 1 discloses a frontview of a girdle having a `central inelastic panel generally indicatedat 6,

the upper portion of which extends a substan- Iii) tial distance acrossthe front of the garment adjacent its upper edge and narrows toward themid section of the garment. The side edges of said upper portion areconcavely curved in the upper section as indicated at 1, and convexlycurved in the lower section as indicated at narrowing the upper portionof said panel to substantially midway between the upper and lowerextremities of the girdle. The lower portion of panel 6 is divided intotwo spaced apart panel strips 6b and 6c the inner edges 9 oi. whichextend downwardly and outwardly for a substantial distance from the midsection of the girdle and then inwardly to meet the base of the girdlein spaced apart relation to each other. The outer side edges IB of panelstrips 6b and 6c are convexly curved from the mid section to the base ofthe girdle.

Inelastic front panels II extend -from top to bottom of the girdle oneither side of central panel 6. The inner side edge of each panel Il iscurved in the upper section, as indicated at I2, complementary toadjacent side edge 'l of panel 6 which is secured thereto by suitablestitching. Panels II have the remainder of their inner side edgesconcavely curved, as indicated at I4, in spaced relation to the centraland lower sections of panel 6 with the lower extremities of panels l Isecured to the adjacent lower extremities of panel strips 6b and 6c asindicated at I5. Elastic inserts I6 shaped to conform with the curvededges indicated at B and il) of panel 6 and edge I4 of panel I I `aresecured to the aforementioned edges of` said panels, and a pentagonalelastic insert I'I conforming to the inner edges 9 of panel strips 6band 6c is secured to said panel strips along their inner edges. PanelsI6 and I'I are stretchable in the circumferential direction of thegarment.

The elastic inserts IB-IIi are arranged on either side of the centralpanel E and its extension strips 6b and 6c and between side panels II topermit a flexibility of the front of the girdle which heretofore has notbeen attained in the conventional garment. Also the elastic insert I 'limparts a flexibility to the panel strips Bb and 6c which allows saidstrips to be stretched apart when the lower section is drawn over thehips of the wearer. The shape of the inserts as well as their positionsin the front of the girdle, permit expansion of the iront portion in thecircumferential direction when the wearer assumesv a sitting position.This circumferential stretch greatly facilitates breathing when thewearer is in sitting Position. "This will become more all- Ation of thewearer.

parent with the realization that the conventional inelastic front girdleis intended to restrict expansion of the abdomen when the wearer is in astanding position. When the wearer assumes a sitting position noprovision is made in the front of the girdle for the normal spread ofthe torso in the lower region. Thus the front of the girdle ordinarilycompresses the abdomen and thereby restricts normal breathing. With thepresent stretchable front flexible expansion takes place n tend from topto bottom of the girdle and are i.y

secured to .the frontof .the girdle along the outer side edges ofinelastic panels I L The stretch of panels 22 is in the circumferentialdirection `of the girdle.

Upper panel 2t extends downwardly from the upper edge of the girdle fora relatively short distance to be snugly iitted around the waist sec-Panel is composed of upper and lower sections 2li and 25. `Lower sectionis of inelastic material and has concavely curved upper and lower edges2li and 2l, Upper section 24 is of elastic material adapted to stretchvin the circumferential direction of the girdle and has aconvexly curved'lower edge'ES which is secured to the upper edge 26 of inelasticsection .25.

The lower panel 2| of inelastic material overlaps a substantial portionof upper panel 2D and extends to the base of the girdle at `.the rear.Panel 2l is provided with a V-shaped elastic insert 29 located centrallyadjacent its upper edge to permit circumferential stretch -of panel 2|in the upper section thereof.

When the girdle is worn upper panel 20 is tightly fitted about the backof the wearer in the lumbar region, while the 'lower panel is snuglyfitted over the back and hips below the lumbar region with its upperportion overlapping a substantial portion of the `upper panel but notinsnug engagement therewith. The overlapping portions of the two panels 2Band 2! are secured together along their vertical side edges adjacentelastic side sections 22 but their transverse edges are unattached topermit a telescopic action in which the one panel is movable relative tothe other.

When the wearer stoops or sits down elongation of the girdle in the backportion `is freely permittedby telescopic spreading action of the upperand lower panels, the former remaining in its position about the waistof the wearer and the latter remaining in its position about the lowerback and hip portions of the wearer. When assuming a standing positionthe said panels will slide together in a telescopic action, Thus it willbe seen that the upper and lower panels of the back portion of thegirdle will automatically remain in their proper relation about the bodyof the wearer regardless of the postures assumed by the wearer.

It will be noted that the lower edge of upper panel 2l! is ,concavelycurved to hug the back in :the curved in portion .of the body below thewaist line to prevent the falling seam from Vforming an unsightly bulgewhich would be readily detectable 4. through dresses. The upper edge oflower panel 2i is also concavely curved and is located opposite thecurved in portion of the back at approximately the waist line. Thisupper edge of panel 2l is, however, prevented from clinging to thecurved in portion of the back by reason of the stretchable insert 29.This stretch tends to ereate vertical .lines to the lower panel 2l andto thereby eliminate the sway-back appearance in cases where sway-backwould otherwise be noticeable. The inverse arrangement of theoverlapping edges of the panels permits a smoother movement of thetelescopic sections and eliminates possible interference at the edge ofone lpanel with the other during telescopic movements.

A pair of stiiening members 3G extend from top to bottom of panel 20 andare suitably spaced apart in the central portion of the panel. A secondpair of stiffening members 3l are arranged at either sides of panel 20to extend downwardly into that kportion of panel 2| directly Ybelow theoverlapping region. A third .pair of Ystlening members 32 extend Vfromtop to bottom inthe central portion of panel 2|. Members `32 are fspaced so as vto avoid overlapping the members 3G in panel k2i).

The novel features ofthe -frontportion of the girdle described herein`are not claimed -inl the instant lapplication and constitute A.thesubject matter of a separate application filed February 12, 1949 underSerial No. 73,712 now Patent No. 2,527,543 dated October 31, 1950 in thename -of Maurice Godbout.

The embodiments of the invention in which van exclusive property orprivilege is claimedf'are dened as follows:

l. In a girdle of the character described, va front portion, a backportion, and side portions uniting said front and back portions,sai'diback portion comprising an upper panel secured pnly along its sideedges to the side portions ofthe girdle, said upper panel being adaptedto be fitted tightly about the waist of 'the wearer in the lumbarregion, and a lower panel secured valong its side ,edges to the sideportions of the girdle with the upper section of said lowerpanel inoverlapping relation to at least a substantial portion of the upperpanel, said lower panel being adapted to be closely fitted about thehips and lower region of the vback of the wearer and having its upperedge free of engagement with the girdle, said upper and lower panelsproviding independent supporting iit about the respective portions ofthebody and being teleseopically slidable relative to one -another duringbody movements 2. A girdle as set forth in claim l, in which the loweredge of said Vupper panel and the upper edge of said lower panel areconcavely curved.

3. Aegirdle as set forth in claim 1, in which said upper panel comprisesan elastic upper section stretchable in the circumferential direction ofthe girdle and an inelastic lower section.

4. In a girdle, a rear construction comprising an upper panel secured tothe body portion of the girdle only along the side edges of said upperpanel, said upper panel being positioned to t closely about the waist ofthe wearer in the lum- .bar region, and a lower panel positioned to `iitclosely about the hips and lower region of the back of the wearer in atleast partial overlapping relation with the upper panel, said lowerpanel being attached to the body portion of the girdle only along theside edges of said lower panel with between the two panels.

FERNAND DESROCHERS,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record n the le of thispatent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Zwiebelson Aug. 25, 1922 Kops May27, 1924 Reynolds July 241, 1928 Kops Aug. 15, 1939 Allen Nov. 2, 1943Hawes Feb. 13, 1945

